Inconsiderate Californians (Portland, Eugene, Salem: appointed, transplants, buying)

[suncat]

I agree with "Freedom," too. California is a diverse state, but Southern and Northern California are very diverse within themselves.

[FunkyMonk]

Originally Posted by freedom

I'm from Orange County and find your comment rude, and offensive. I have family that lives there and a lot of friends that in no way fit into your crass comment.

There's no need for self rightous indignaion or oversensitivity here. So-Cal is just....So-Cal. It is its own little world, very different from just about anywhere else. There are generalizations about it that can accurately be made because it is a VERY distinct place. I lived there for 6 years, i've seen what it's all about. So-Cal IS full of money and money culture and in some ways this is the backbone of society there.

I have friends and family in So-Cal too, there's all kinds of people there. Of course not EVERY single person in So-Cal is inconsiderate, materialistic, superficial and shows off thier wealth at any chance they get. But there sure are a lot of them.

And there's no need to get all offended......

[Educatorspeakingtruth]

Originally Posted by OregonWannaBe

I live in Orance County, CA and have lived in Southern Ca my whole life. My Fiance and I are fed up with several things here though. One major problem we have with SoCal is that many people are very inconsiderate, only care about themselves, kind of stuck up in away, etc. (of course not everyone is, but that is the vibe you get here). Since we want to move to OR, I was wondering if there is any kind of vibe like this in Oregon, or what kind of vibe is there from the people? Do people keep to themselves, are they snobby, helpful, friendly, etc...? Thank you for reading!

Here is a summary of my experiences living in So Cal for the past 3-4 years........!

I might be moving to Oregon in the near future. I was wondering how many Californian's have relocated to Oregon? I was born and raised in Oregon but I have been residing in Southern California for the last 3-4 years. The last time I lived in Oregon I was in high school and I won't mention how long ago that was. I have noticed that Oregon's population has significantly increased since 2000. I was also curious how much has it changed?
I have really enjoyed the time I have been in So Cal and I have grown tremendously as a person! But I feel it is time to return to "My Oregon" & Beaver Nation!(Go Beavers in the CWS!)

I'm tired of Southern California for numerous reasons.
1) Cost of living is outrageous!
2) Where is the "Quality of life"?
3) Over populated. (traffic is awful everywhere & at all times)
4) Materialism rules here. (many desire to be rich & famous instead of helping one another)
5) High Crime
6) Smog (Californians like to call this "Marine Layer" Ha!)
7) Treated as another number instead of a human being.
8) Immigration is getting out of control (not to start a debate, but you can't ignore it.)

Now, let me just say that I have met many kind individuals since I've been here so I'm not bitter towards anyone or any group. No, not everyone in So Cal is rude, selfish, fake or caught up in the "hamster wheel". But there are many who are (probably more than not), especially in a comparison to Oregonians. If I were raised in Southern California? I would have become accustomed to the lifestyle here and I may have become the "Hamster in the wheel" or the "Californian" stereotype? I feel Blessed to have been raised in Oregon, but also Blessed to experience Southern California as well. South Orange County is beautiful and if the cost of living wasn't so extremely high I could be very happy there. I just don't feel like being in debt my whole life, working until I'm 75, working three jobs, being a slave to my mortgage the rest of my life, while trying to keep up with the Jones', Smith's, etc..! All of these reasons while on a Teacher's salary!
Ok, that is my .02

[SandymonicaUSA]

I love lots of things in Oregon!!! I spent from 1963 until 1997 living there and raising my two great (now grown and married) kids. I love going there three times a year to spend time with my daughter and two sweet little grandsons. I attend my high school reunions and love the beauty of the lake. I love the tall firs and the lush hills. The Pearl District is one of my favorite areas for visiting galleries, cafes, shops.
I DID see the report indicating Oregon has the least road rage. Maybe things have changed a lot in the past ten years everywhere.
And no, I did NOT decide where to live based on the height of people. It was an observation I couldn't help but notice. It is probably true because many Oregonians are from Scandinavian countries where taller people are more the norm.
The MAIN thing I didn't like in Oregon was that after my husband and I were accustomed to being very well-received by neighbors when we fixed up distressed homes in California. in SW Portland we were treated badly by our neighbors when we had a professional landscape architect tear out an ugly front yard (with black plastic piping, dead plants, etc). and replace it with a beautifully landscaped yard. (The neighbors made it very clear to us that they wanted to keep the area UN-attractive and we didn't comply with their wishes after we purchased the old house). Luckily when we sold it, the new buyers appreciated all of the improvements we had made to it.

[lilsinger]

Originally Posted by Juba

I agree about Oregonians keeping to themselves. I grew up there and if you're not part of the local "clique", then no matter what you do you won't be. At least in SoCal, people are more willing to accept you if your part of their group. Also, people in Oregon can lack tact and be very rude if they perceive you as "not one of us".

P.S., the service I recieved in Oregon (restaurant, bar) is quite inferior to SoCal. People in Oregon are not motivated in general, they tend to not strive, but only survive. This can be a good thing, but don't expect alot when people are not driven.

Whoa, I am sorry, most posts dont get me fired up, but this one did. First, in answer to the actual thread, I want to say that when you ask someone's opinion of a place, take it with a lot of consideration.

To Juba, broad, all encompassing statements such as yours are not helpful. I believe that trying to generalize Oregonians as unmotivated and choosing only to survive is off base. I know just as many driven people in Oregon as I know anywhere else. No matter where you live, you will find people who are not motivated.

[angelbug]

I find it so funny when people generalize about Californians. I moved to northern California 20 years ago from the East Coast, and most people I know here are from somewhere else. So what in the world is a typical Californian? If you substituted "black" or "Mexican" or "woman" for "Californian," you would be accused of stereotyping and your opinion wouldn't be very well respected.

There are very nice people and awful people in California, JUST LIKE EVERYWHERE ELSE. I've visited Oregon many times and I don't see anything so wonderfully special about people there that makes them any better than people in California. In fact, they often seem downright snobby. Oregon is not the only place in the country experiencing high growth. There are 50 million more people in the US than there were when I was a kid. They have to live *somewhere.* I just returned from visiting relatives near Washington, D.C., where I grew up. If you want to see an overbuilt, congested, ruined area, check out the D.C. suburbs.

[Kiwi]

I agree! Most people I know in CA are from somewhere else. Just like me. There are good and bad people in CA, just like every other state. Most small and large cities are growing and changing. People are just resistant to change!

Kiwi

[HockeyMac18]

Originally Posted by angelbug

I find it so funny when people generalize about Californians. I moved to northern California 20 years ago from the East Coast, and most people I know here are from somewhere else. So what in the world is a typical Californian? If you substituted "black" or "Mexican" or "woman" for "Californian," you would be accused of stereotyping and your opinion wouldn't be very well respected.

There are very nice people and awful people in California, JUST LIKE EVERYWHERE ELSE. I've visited Oregon many times and I don't see anything so wonderfully special about people there that makes them any better than people in California. In fact, they often seem downright snobby. Oregon is not the only place in the country experiencing high growth. There are 50 million more people in the US than there were when I was a kid. They have to live *somewhere.* I just returned from visiting relatives near Washington, D.C., where I grew up. If you want to see an overbuilt, congested, ruined area, check out the D.C. suburbs.

I'm afraid some parts of Southern California are what give the state its "bad rap". Some parts of southern California are just so different from the rest of the country, and even most of the rest of California...and be it as it may, money, while a major driving force in any big city, seems to be a bigger deal in some parts of Southern California. I agree with you in that you can't generalize Californians, but sadly there are a lot of snooty places in southern California that give the whole state an unfair and untrue image. Not all of California is like Laguna Beach (that stupid MTV show), but there are a lot of people like that in southern California, and this is what the rest of the country sees and, therefore, thinks is representative of the entire state. If it weren't so crowded, I'd move to California (sadly the places where it isn't crowded are places where I couldn't work, and therefore couldn't live...)

[atlantagreg30127]

This has been an interesting thread to read - and the way I read it as an outsider to both areas is that it's more "L.A. against Oregon" regarding the differences in mentality with some folks.

We see the exact same thing in my area. Here it's "Atlanta" vs. "Georgia". Georgia sees Atlanta as a pain in the ass, pushy, dirty, congested, etc. When Atlantans move further out into smaller towns or to another part of the state to get away from the big city, they are usually seen as the "outsider". And yes, I HAVE known of instances where Atlantans will pull the, "back in Atlanta we do it this way" after they've moved (and it's not met with good reactions).

So it's interesting to read this similar scenerio in this forum. L.A. is the Atlanta with Oregon being the Georgia regarding current migration trends, and what seems to occasionally be tense moments or miscommunication between the two types of folks when they live and interact closely.

Personally, if I move to a completely different area both geographically and in "feel", I'm not going to do it until I'm ready to change myself in my way of thinking. I would have no desire to remain an Atlantan while living in Savannah - I'd want to become a Savanian! My suggestion being somewhat naive to your areas to folks from SoCal who are moving to Oregon is.. "Change. Chill. Assimilate. Become your new surroundings and leave the past place behind".

[Kathleenh54]

The criticisms leveled at people from crowded areas of California have less to do with personalities and more to do with adapting to living in a city-like environment. There isn't always time to be nice to everyone the way there is in a small town. There's traffic, lines at the stores, competition for homes, space, etc. The Best Buy in our old town never had anything in stock. Here in Oregon, the Circuit City doesn't run out of things as quickly.

The wait at the doctor's office in SoCal could be an hour, and this is after waiting for two to three days for an appointment. Here in Oregon (at least in my area), you can go the same or next day and be seem almost immediately.

It all lends itself to a calmer lifestyle and therefore a calmer approach to one's fellow human beings. Here we are friends and neighbors, not competition for the last loaf of bread in the supermarket.